#shipitandripit

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2023 The Mid South Recap

The gravel event season shifted into high gear this past weekend at The Mid South, a grueling but exhilarating gravel biking and endurance running challenge that takes participants across the rolling, red dirt roads of Stillwater, Oklahoma. This year competitors were treated to warm temperatures and fast roads. BikeFlights’ team members Kerry Werner and Michael Potter were there to work the expo and compete in the event.

The annual migration to The Mid South starts with a gathering of industry brands and packet pickup at the event’s expo. Calm winds and moderate temperatures created a welcoming environment where the gravel community could come together from all over the U.S. and catch up after the long off season. 

BikeFlights' newest team member and Event and Marketing Support Specialist Kerry Werner and Partnerships Director Michael Potter spent the expo day connecting with current and future BikeFlights shippers among the nearly 2,500 like-minded people celebrating the ride that would follow the next day.  

Race day featured sunny skies, warm temperatures and strong winds. The pace was fast over what were smooth, dry roads, causing the field to break into many smaller groups. As the winds pushed out of the south, it challenged riders from every direction as they pedaled clockwise around the course throughout the day. 

In the men’s race, the deciding move occurred 89 miles into the 100-mile course. A sandy, twisty mountain bike trail section took the lead group of 12 down to three. Payson McElveen, John Borstelman and BikeFlights’ own Kerry Werner emerged from the trails and sprinted for the top three podium spots, crossing the line in that order. 

The women’s race was shaken up halfway through the race when the leader was held up at a railroad crossing by an unfortunately timed freight train. During the delay the top five women regrouped. Keeping calm and continuing to push the pace, Lauren De Crescenzo would again ride away from her competitors to repeat her 2022 victory with her teammate Caroline Wreszin claiming second place and Heather Jackson rounding out the last podium spot.

In the event’s first-ever non-binary category, Rach McBride claimed victory by riding a consistent, strong effort from start to finish. Apollo Leonard and Sam Hansen completed the podium in second and third places.

Special congratulations to BikeFlights Team Members Justin Barr and Zach Heyer who spontaneously decided to ride the 100-mile route after originally registering for the 50-mile route. Both pushed themselves hard and finished in impressive form.

Lastly, BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors Jessica Brunson, Maria Doering, Enzo Moscarella and Sarah Bowman inspired us with their efforts in the 50, 100 and ‘the double’ routes. Congratulations to you all! 

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Improve Your Bike And Life Skills With Ladies AllRide

A decade ago, Lindsey Richter saw a void in women’s mountain bike skills clinics and created Ladies AllRide to fill it. To this day, Lindsey, a long-time BikeFlights Ambassador, and her business partner Meredith Brandt of Grit Clinics continue to offer skills camps for women. Their camps are the perfect opportunity to take a mountain bike vacation at one of the best trail centers in the U.S., ride challenging tracks with supportive friends and sharpen skills.

On a day-to-day basis, Lindsey manages public relations, social media, written content, public speaking and general inspiration for Ladies AllRide while Meredith serves as the CEO and ‘Director of Everything’, handling logistics and managing everything and everyone.

Lindsey initially set out to design a new kind of skills camp that acknowledges the fears and difficulties associated with mountain biking while also creating an environment in which riders could celebrate their love for working through those elements of the sport. Its an ethos that remains a driving principle of hers today.

So what exactly happens at Liv Ladies AllRide camps? Here is a rundown from Lindsey herself:

We run 14 instructional mountain bike skills camps across the country annually where we coach up to 70 participants at each camp. These are fun-filled weekend events that are meant to bring women together to share the joys of mountain biking and learn in a safe, encouraging and welcoming environment.

We are passionate mountain bikers and professionally trained skills instructors who teach all levels of riders from beginner to advanced. We strive to build community and grow the population of female mountain bikers across the globe.

Combined with skills on the bike, we also inspire women to face fears, believe in themselves and change negative thoughts to positive. We relate mountain biking to life by helping women see how fear can debilitate us on bikes and in life. We have a unique formula where we throw in life skills along with bike skills.

For instance, we don’t stare at that rock and imagine crashing into it; we choose a line, look ahead, and think only thoughts that serve us, thoughts about what we need to do to get through, thoughts that keep us moving forward. 

A Ladies AllRide weekend is not only full of awesome instruction on the bike, we also provide a Friday and Saturday afternoon happy hour, goody bags full of awesome sponsor product and coupons, raffle prizes, discounts to our partner bike shops, a nutritious lunch, snacks like Picky Bars and free demo products like G-Form pads, Smith helmets and Liv demo bikes. We also offer an hour of “education stations” with topics like bike maintenance, suspension set-up, nutrition on and off the bike, managing fear and a body positioning slideshow with commentary.

When they’re not busy running Ladies AllRide from the road and at home in Bend, Oregon, Lindsey and Meredith can be found leading private lessons and destination-based camps with their staff of 50+ professionally-trained coaches. Together, they continue to sow the seeds of mountain bike stoke across the nation.

Book a skills camp with Ladies AllRide, or book a private lesson with Grit clinics.

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Meet BikeFlights Ambassador Enzo Moscarella

BikeFlights Ambassador Enzo Moscarella is committed to racing in some of cycling’s premier events, and has written and illustrated a children’s book dedicated to the simple desire of riding a bike, aptly titled “I Want to Ride My Bicycle”.

But just a few years ago bikes were barely in his periphery.

Growing up in New York City, bikes would occasionally come in and out of his life, via hand-me-downs and apartment basement finds, but they rarely played a significant role in his life.

“They were just another toy,” Enzo says, “we never went out on bike rides.”

College was similar; the occasional borrowed bike might transport him to a class or work, but he never gave bikes much thought beyond that.

Then came 2019, and as the world shut down, the streets opened up. Enzo started noticing bikes a lot more and a new perspective emerged.

“I was living in Brooklyn at the time, and I saw more people [on bikes] in the park and messengers zoom[ing] in and out. I just got this itch and thought, I think I want to buy a bike.”

In 2020, he scratched the itch and purchased an entry level steel single speed. That’s when a new world appeared on the horizon.

“I did one lap around Prospect Park and was winded and got a little buzz. It snowballed from there.”

Enzo felt compelled to keep challenging himself to do more laps around the park and to explore further throughout the city. His world expanded both literally and figuratively.

He set his sights on a more ambitious ride and began researching the prospect of riding his bike from New York City to Chicago. Somewhere in his research he came across the call for applications to From the Ground Up, a program – run by BikeFlights Ambassador Alexey Vermeulen and fellow professional cyclist Ryan Petry– which provides resources and guidance to “inspire cyclists of all ability levels to step outside of their comfort zones” and compete in an event like the Leadville Trail 100 MTB.

“I actually sent it to a couple friends, who I thought were serious cyclists at the time, and said, ‘Hey, you guys should do this,’” Enzo says.

His “serious cyclist” friends found the idea “insane.” So Enzo decided to give it a go himself, thinking it was a long shot.

Enzo was chosen for the inaugural season of the program and began training for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, a 104-mile mountain bike race with more than 11,000 feet of climbing in the oxygen thin Leadville, Colorado. He was quickly struck by the physical and mental benefits of using the bike to work toward a lofty goal, and those benefits translating to his off-the-bike life.

“I found the phrase ‘send it’ happening more and more in my life,” Enzo says, relating it to situations in his life in which, “the worst that could happen is I fall and have to get back up.”

When a training ride crash and injury forced him off the bike for an extended period of time, Enzo took advantage of the situation to “send it” on an ambition that had been lurking in the back of his mind for a while.

“I always wanted to write a children’s book, but never had a subject or solid idea.” With his arm in a cast and a long recovery ahead of him, Enzo took inspiration from a persistent nagging feeling: “All I wanted to do was ride my bike.”

Enzo began to reflect on his cycling journey through photos and memories, noting the diversity of people he’s met and their chosen path within the world of cycling. He began sketching.

“I tried to represent the diversity of people and bikes that I’d interacted with over the past couple years. I drew my friends on mountain bikes, adaptive bikes and fixed gear bikes.”

In addition to his background in fine arts and graffiti art (he has a Master’s degree in sculpture), Enzo drew on his experience as an early childhood educator to arrange the book in a way that would be engaging to young children.

The result is 38 colorful pages, simple text in both English and Spanish, introducing children to the diverse world of bikes and the people who ride them. A second volume is in the works as well as two other non-bike books. If you’re interested in purchasing “I Want to Ride My Bicycle” you can do so here. 

Although Enzo’s initial participation in the From the Ground Up program was cut short by injury, he was invited back for the second season. You can watch both seasons on the From the Ground Up website.

As for Enzo’s endeavors in 2023, we’re excited to have him as a BikeFlights Ambassador as he continues to explore the world of cycling. He’s also been chosen to be a Ride for Racial Justice rider at SBT GRVL in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

In addition to SBT GRVL Enzo hopes to continue to challenge himself physically, mentally and creatively. Although he may not have a schedule etched in stone quite yet, he has a basic plan.

“I don’t know exactly what to expect over the next year, but I know I’ll be making stuff and riding bikes.”

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Purchase Protection For Your Bike

Shipping is one of the safest ways to transport your bike, but as with any method of transportation, damage and loss are possible. That’s why we offer Premium Protection for all BikeFlights shipments. When you ship your bikes, wheels or gear with BikeFlights, we recommend that you purchase protection to cover the market value of the contents of your shipment. Then you’ll be fully covered just in case the unexpected does happen.

Every BikeFlights shipment comes with with $200 of Premium Protection, and you may purchase additional Premium Protection in amounts up to a maximum of $20,000 during the booking process.

Once your shipment is booked, protected, packed and labeled, you can drop it off at any UPS Store or UPS Customer Center, or if you scheduled a pickup, we’ll send a driver to pick up your shipment on on the date you selected.

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Meet Our 2023 BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors

We are pleased to introduce our 2023 BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors and Sponsored Teams, including 36 individuals and two teams.

“All year long, our BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors inspire us with all that they do on and off a bike,” said Sue George, Vice President of BikeFlights. “For 2023, we’re welcoming 36 amazing individuals and two fantastic teams to represent BikeFlights in their communities and wherever they go ride and race. We can’t wait to see what they get up to this year.”

“What I love about BikeFlights is the stress-free process and assurance I get from knowing my bike or equipment will make it to my destination on time and safely,” said returning BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Kyle Trudeau.

New BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Maria Doering said, “I love the flexibility that BikeFlights gives me and that I am able to plan ahead when to ship my bike.”

Launched eight years ago in 2015, the BikeFlights Brand Ambassador program continues to make it easy for Ambassadors to ship their bikes, wheels and gear, whether they are traveling with their bikes or shipping bike-related gear they’ve just sold online. In exchange, Brand Ambassadors help spread the word about BikeFlights.

Long-time BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Ashton Lambie said, “Using BikeFlights is so easy. I can select a pickup to avoid having to drop off large boxes, and I can also send folks labels easily for them to ship to me.”

 Returning BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Caleb Swartz said, “As a privateer I am in charge of a tremendous number of logistics. There are so many moving parts to my program, and I am constantly moving around equipment for races and training camps. BikeFlights makes it so easy and affordable to plan ahead. This reduces stress and it saves me innumerable headaches.”

“Our Ambassador program consists of riders of all ages and levels of experience from grassroots to pro,” said George. “We’re proud to support ambassadors who are gravel riders, mountain bikers, road riders, trackies, triathletes and cyclocrossers of different races, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders and locations.”

BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Diana Hildebrand, who has taught both adults and youth how to ride a bicycle, said, “I love that BikeFlights offers safe traveling for bicycles, supports various organizations and offers ambassadors opportunities.”

“BikeFlights provides a wonderful tool for shipping bikes and gear, but the BikeFlights family is one that cares about each other and their customers,” said returning BikeFlights Ambassador Rose Grant, a mom and recently retired pro racer. “I have really loved being a part of this community.”

Expect to see BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors in action at national caliber events like The Mid South, the Sea Otter Classic, Unbound Gravel, the Leadville MTB Trail 100, Rebecca’s Private Idaho and Big Sugar as well as many more events in their local communities and beyond. You’ll also often see them out pedaling on their favorite local roads and trails.

Individuals

Abe Alkhamees (Kuwait City, Kuwait)

Alex Kang (Newark, CA)

Alexey Vermeulen (Boulder, CO)

Andreas Drekonja (Minneapolis, MN)

Annie Davis (Bentonville, AR)

Ashton Lambie (Houston, TX)

Caleb Swartz (Missoula, MT)

Diana Hildebrand (Cleveland, OH)

Emmett Culp (Portland, OR)

Enzo Moscarella (Queens Village, NY)

Eric Brunner (Boulder, CO)

Garrett Bonenberger (Knoxville, TN)

Jake Wells (Avon, CO)

Jessica Brunson (Fort Worth, TX)

Justin Hanneken (North Fort Myers, FL)

Kait Boyle (Victor, ID)

Kecia McCullough (Rochester, NY)

Kelly Freire (Miami, FL)

Kenneth Oladapo (Atlanta, GA)

Kyle Trudeau (Tucson, AZ)

Lauren Thrailkill (Coatesville , PA)

Layla Doman (Washington,  DC)

Lindsey Richter (Bend, OR)

Lisa Gillespie (New York, NY)

Liza Rachetto (Boise, ID)

Maria Doering (Banner Elk, NC)

Noah Hayes (Santa Barbara, CA)

Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, ID)

Rose Grant (Columbia Falls, MT)

Sam Coyle (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Sara Lim (Seattle, WA)

Sarah Bowman (Los Angeles, CA)

Starla Teddergreen (Longmont, CO)

Sydney Wenger (Roanoke, VA)

Tina Beecham (Cibolo, TX)

Tsitsi Merritt (New York City, NY)

Teams

Bear Development Team (including Riders: Alyssa White, Andie Aagard, Austin Beard, Bailey Cioppa, Bayli McSpadden, Benjamin Crismon, Brady White, Brayden Johnson, Brynnlie Aagard, Carson Hampton, Cayden Parker, Charlotte Philkill, Chloe Fraser, Cobe Freeburn, Daniel English, Daxton Mock, Ethan Blocker, Ethan Shirey, George Frazier, Hayley Ballard, Ian Brown, Jack Spranger, Kaya Musgrave, Kellie Harrington, Kira Mullins, Landen Stovall, Lasse Konecny, Lauren Lackman, Leo Gutierrez, Liam Baartman, Luke Mosteller, Mike Ziomek, Miles Mattern, Nathan Dutton, Nico Konecny, Noah Spangenberg, Paige Edwards, Raulito Gutierrez, Robbie Day, Ruth Holcomb, Tai-Lee Smith and Vida Lopez de San Roman; and Team Managers & Staff: Julia Violich, Jason Jablonski, Julien Petit and Nik Johnson)

Maxxis Factory Racing Team (including Riders: Andrew L'Esperance, Colton Peterson, Elizabeth (Lia) Westermann and Haley Smith; and Team Manager Drew Esherick)

Our Brand Ambassador program is full for 2023. Applications will be accepted for 2024 starting sometime in October 2023. Stay tuned to our e-newsletter, social media and blog for details about when and how to sign up in the future.

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BikeFlights Buck Up For Bikes Program Donates $16,000

We are pleased to announce a donation of $16,000 to Trip for Kids, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, Little Bellas and the International Mountain Bike Association from funds raised via our BikeFlights Buck Up for Bikes program throughout 2022.

“We value the excellent work that the beneficiaries of our Buck Up For Bikes program are doing to create more opportunities and places for people to ride,” said Alcorn. “We also appreciate the ongoing support of our customers for Buck Up For Bikes.”

Originally created in 2016 to benefit NICA and the Amy D. Foundation, BikeFlights’ Buck Up for Bikes (BUFB) program has been growing ever since. From the program’s inception to date, BikeFlights has raised and given out more than $95,000.

“It is an honor to express my sincere appreciation to the BikeFlights team for their enduring partnership and commitment to Trips for Kids,” said Patricia Gallery, President of Trips for Kids (TFK). “The Buck up for Bikes program is helping us drive our national movement to enrich the minds and bodies of all kids from all communities, especially those in need, through the transformative power of the bike.”

Lucas Euser, National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Director of Corporate Partnerships said, "NICA is infinitely grateful to all of our partners that help break down barriers to empower every kid to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community. The Buck Up for Bikes program is an easy way to help get more kids on bikes through NICA’s safe, reliable and predictable youth development programming. Thank you, BikeFlights, for being a great NICA partner." 

"BikeFlights has been an incredible long-standing partner with Little Bellas,” said Sabra Davison, Director of Little Bellas. “They have been shipping bikes for girls in need to every corner of the country as well as utilizing their Buck Up for Bikes checkout to further support getting more girls on bikes."

Dave Wiens, Executive Director of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) said, “We're grateful for the continued support of BikeFlights and the Buck up for Bikes program, being recipients alongside partners who introduce kids to mountain biking. BikeFlights knows that keeping kids riding requires fun trails and more trails close to home. Supporting IMBA supports trails, and more trails means more kids on bikes."

Per the Buck Up for Bikes program, BikeFlights customers have the option to contribute from one to four bucks during checkout when booking their bike shipping online. BikeFlights not only collects and tracks all donations, but also supplements collected contributions and covers the costs of administering and publicizing the program.

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Holiday Bike Shipping Tips

What’s often called “the most wonderful time of the year” is also the busiest time of the year for shipping. Carriers deal with a tremendous increase in the volume of shipments during the winter holiday season. That’s why we’ve put together these useful holiday shipping tips to help you get your bikes, wheels and gear safely and on time to wherever they need to go. Whether you’re shipping bike-related gifts to your favorite riders or shipping your own bike for an upcoming holiday trip, BikeFlights has you covered.

Tip #1: Allow Extra Shipping Time.

How fast your shipment travels depends on what level of service you purchase. Our carrier UPS suggests the following ship-by dates by service level to help you make sure that your packages are delivered by Friday, December 23, 2022, the last business day day prior the Christmas holiday on Sunday, December 25, 2022.

3-Day: Tuesday, December 20, 2022

2-Day: Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Next Day: Thursday, December 22, 2022

For all shipments via ground service, you can easily get estimated delivery dates at BikeFlights.com based on your ship-to and ship-from locations and your ship-on date, but remember that carriers always suspend their delivery guarantees during the holiday season, so the estimated delivery date you receive is just that: an estimate! Do yourself a favor and build in some extra shipping time to reduce the potential impact of delays due to high shipping volumes.

Tip #2: Account for Potential Weather Impacts.

Snow delays can and do happen. Throughout the northern hemisphere, it’s winter, and therefore it can snow or ice at any time in many places. Significant storms often slow or even halt package delivery, especially when the system is already strained due to the higher volume of shipments.

Even if you are shipping to or from a warm climate, your bikes, wheels and gear may have to travel through wintry climates en route, or their travel may be impacted as consequences of winter storms in other places propagate through the system. Potential weather delays are another good reason to ship earlier to give your shipments some extra time. 

Tip #3: Remove Previous Labels and Markings.

Once you receive all the items ordered during your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, it’s time to wrap and ship your gifts to their lucky recipients. Be sure to always remove all previous labels and markings from any boxes that you’re reusing for subsequent shipments. This includes addresses, barcodes and HAZMAT and other warning stickers.

If you leave old labels on, automatic scanners will read them, and your package could end up getting delivered to the address on the previous label. And if the previous label’s address is yours, the package could even come right back to you! 

Tip #4: Book Shipments With Accurate Dimensions and Weight.

When booking, be sure to enter accurate dimensions and weight. We’ve pre-loaded the dimensions of popular cases suitable for shipping that you can select when booking. For all boxes or cases not on our list, use a tape measure to determine the following dimensions for your shipment: Length, Width and Height. Length is the longest side of a box or case; Height is the second longest, and Width is the dimension that’s leftover - measure each at their widest parts to account for any bulges. Then use a scale to determine package weight. Always round up to the next unit. For example, enter 13 inches for a measurement of 12.25 inches, and enter 14 kg for a measurement of 13.7 kg. 

Shipments are audited multiple times during transit. If a package’s actual dimensions and weight do not match booked dimensions and weight, it may be delayed en route while the discrepancy is resolved, and you may be subject to additional fees. Such shipments are also more susceptible to damage as they may end up getting incorrectly sorted by size.

Tip #5: Double Check Your Addresses.

You’ve gone to all the work to get the gifts you’ll be giving, and now you’re ready to send them. Remember to double check your address BEFORE shipping. Make sure you’ve got a complete street address, including the house, apartment or suite number so the delivery driver knows exactly where to go.

We make address corrections for free prior to shipping, so just reach out to us with your corrected addresses, and we’ll update your shipping label at no charge. Once a shipment is underway, you can still contact us with any delivery address changes; however, standard change and re-route fees will apply, and your delivery date will likely be later than originally scheduled.

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BikeFlights Transporting Bikes For The UCI Track Champions League

We are pleased to announce that BikeFlights has become the official bike shipping service of the UCI Track Champions League, a five-round track racing series kicking off its second season this weekend in Mallorca, Spain. Featuring 72 of the world’s best track cyclists in sprint and endurance disciplines, the UCI TCL will also host rounds during each of the next three weekends at world-class velodromes in Berlin, Germany; St-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France; and London, England.

“We’ve been fans of track racing for a long time and are excited to help the best track cyclists in the world transport their bikes between velodromes throughout Europe as they race in the UCI Track Champions League,” said William Alcorn, President of BikeFlights. 

The UCI Track Champions League originally came about from a partnership developed between Eurosport Events and the UCI, and the series was first held in 2021. It features an equal number of male and female athletes as well as equal prize money for all. The series is BikeFlight’s third international event partnership of 2022. We are also the official bike shipping service of the Global Bike Festival and the Tour de France.

UCI Track Champions League Schedule

November 12, 2022 - Round 1: Mallorca / Velòdrom Illes Balears

November 19, 2022 - Round 2: Berlin / Berlin Velodrome

November 26, 2022 - Round 3: St-Quentin-En-Yvelines / Velodrome National de St-Quentin-En-Yvelines

December 2, 2022 - Round 4: London / Lee Valley VeloPark

December 3, 2022 - Round 5 (Finals): London / Lee Valley VeloPark

You can buy tickets and attend in person or watch the coverage of the UCI Track Champions League on Eurosport or GCN.

Learn more about the UCI Track Champions League. 

Photo by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com courtesy of UCI TCL. 

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Tour de France Unveils 2023 Routes

The Tour de France held its annual presentation last week in Paris, France to announce next year’s official routes. Both the hommes (men’s) and femmes (women’s) editions are already being touted as a climber's dream because each winner will likely be decided high in the mountains. As the official bike shipping service of the Tour de France, BikeFlights got the inside scoop on what next year’s routes have in store for the pelotons.  

Tour de France Hommes

The Grand Depart of the 2023 Tour de France Hommes will take place starting on July 1, 2023 in Spain’s Basque Country before the Tour heads towards the Pyrenees mountains. As with most editions, next year’s Tour will favor aggressive climbers by featuring four summit finishes and an uphill individual time trial. The sprinters will also have their turn to race for stage wins with six flat stages. The race will conclude after 3,404 kilometers on its traditional circuit in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. 

Here are the stages for the 2023 Tour de France Hommes:

Stage 1: July 1 - Hilly - Bilbao to Bilbao - 182km

Stage 2: July 2 - Hilly - Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint-Sébastien - 209km

Stage 3: July 3 - Flat - Amborebieta-Etxano to Bayonne - 185km

Stage 4: July 4 - Flat - Dax to Nogaro - 182km

Stage 5: July 5 - Mountain - Pau to Laruns - 165km

Stage 6: July 6 - Mountain - Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque - 145km

Stage 7: July 7 - Flat - Mont-De-Marsan to Bordeaux - 170km

Stage 8: July 8 - Hilly - Libourne to Limoges - 201km

Stage 9: July 9 - Mountain - Saint-Léonard-De-Noblat to Puy de Dôme - 184km

July 10 - Rest Day

Stage 10: July 11 - Hilly - Vulcania to Issoire - 167km

Stage 11: July 12 - Flat - Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins - 180km

Stage 12: July 13 - Hilly - Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais - 169km

Stage 13: July 14 - Mountain - Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombie - 138km

Stage 14: July 15 - Mountain - Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes Du Soleil - 152km

Stage 15: July 16 - Mountain - Les Gets Les Portes Du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc - 180km

July 17 - Rest Day

Stage 16: July 18 - Individual Time Trial - Passy to Combloux - 22km

Stage 17: July 19 - Mountain - Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel - 166km

Stage 18: July 20 - Hilly - Moûtiers to Bourg-En-Bresse - 186km

Stage 19: July 21 - Flat - Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny - 173km

Stage 20: July 22 - Mountain - Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering - 133km

Stage 21: July 23 - Flat - Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Élysées - 115km

Tour de France Femmes 

The second edition of the new version of the Tour de France Femmes will take place throughout France during eight stages from July 23 to July 30, 2023. Its Grand Depart will be hosted by the city of Clermont-Ferrand, the capital of the Auvergne region before the race  also travels south into the Pyrénées. The Tour will conclude after 956 kilometers with an individual time trial in Pau. 

Here are the stages for the 2023 Tour de France Femmes:

Stage 1: July 23 - Flat - Clermont-Ferrand to Clermont-Ferrand - 124km

Stage 2: July 24 - Hilly - Clermont-Ferrand to Mauriac - 148km

Stage 3: July 25 - Flat - Collonges la Rouge to Montignac Lascaux - 147km

Stage 4: July 26 - Hilly - Cahors to Rodez - 177km

Stage 5: July 27 - Flat - Onet le Chateau to Albi - 126km

Stage 6: July 28 - Flat - Albi to Blagnac - 122km

Stage 7: July 29 - Mountain - Lannemezan to Tourmalet Bagneres de Bigorre - 90km

Stage 8: July 30 - Time Trial - Pau to Pau - 22km

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SBT GRVL Recap

On the heels of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB came SBT GRVL, an annual gravel race held in the Colorado Rocky Mountain resort town of Steamboat Springs. Since its inception in 2019, BikeFlights has been represented both as an event partner and with our own tires on the gravel. 

However this year our Partnership Director and Colorado resident Michael Potter couldn’t make it because he was busy helping his wife welcome Ellis Robert to the world (congrats Grayson and Michael!). So our Vice President Sue George, and former BikeFlights Event Marketing Manager Vince Camiolo packed their bikes and BikeFlights’ed them from the east coast to Steamboat Springs to fill in for Michael and get their own taste of what SBT GRVL calls “the greatest gravel roads on Earth.”

The schedule on Day 1, Friday, called for the downtown expo to start at 3:00 p.m., giving Sue the opportunity in the morning to reunite her Moots bike with its birthplace and join a group ride from the Moots headquarters.

A festival-like atmosphere filled Yampa Street in downtown Steamboat Springs on Friday evening and all day Saturday. Both sides of the street were filled with tents representing much of the cycling industry, as well as organizations promoting inclusivity in cycling, like Ride for Social Justice and All Bodies on Bikes.

SBT GRVL has made inclusivity a focus of the event from a variety of angles. The race itself has four course choices starting at the Green (37 miles) and ascending to Red (62 miles), Blue (100 miles) and Black (142 miles). In addition to the typical male and female categories, there are non-binary category and para categories.

After two days of expo, chatting with the bike shipping-curious and seasoned BikeFlights customers, and handing out swag and packing tips, Sunday morning came along, and it was time to ride!

Sue and Vince both chose the Blue 100-mile course and rolled across the downtown Steamboat Springs starting line at 7:00 a.m. with 878 other cyclists.

The course left town on pavement, but it wasn’t long before it turned onto a gravel descent, starting the more than 70-percent unpaved sections of the course. Climbing for the day would total over 6,000 feet in 100 miles, ranging in elevation from about 6,600 feet to over 8,000 feet above sea level.

“My favorite part of the course, aside from the constant picturesque mountain scenery, is how varied the terrain was,” said Vince. “The majority was the quintessential Colorado gravel road, but we found ourselves on singletrack, occasional smooth pavement, and even a hayfield as well.”

Sue said, “The course rolled so much faster than I was expecting for a primarily gravel road event. It felt like we were absolutely flying over those smooth roads all day, yet I still enjoyed some chances en route to chat with some of the other participants. I loved pedaling the beautiful, more wooded section out to and around Steamboat Lake with a local who was pointing out and naming the local peaks and other landmarks.”

While different gravel races take varied approaches to offering aid stations along the course, the SBT GRVL Blue offered a well-stocked and well-staffed aid station every 25 miles, with a few surprise extras along the way.

Some events are suited for a single check on the bucket list, but SBT GRVL, with its focus on inclusivity and its setting in a welcoming and amenity-stocked resort town (like multiple solid coffee shops!), has the potential to be an annual pilgrimage for cyclists of all levels. Conquer the Blue? Come back and do the Black. Maybe bring the whole family and ride the Green together. Or let them enjoy the town until it’s time to welcome you at the finish as you endeavor to beat your Blue time. Either way, it’s easy to ship your bike straight to Steamboat Springs, and maybe we’ll see you there next August!

[weshipyourride]

Leadville Trail 100 MTB Recap

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB has always been a bucket list event for endurance mountain bikers, but this year, it also doubled as the fourth stop of the Life Time Grand Prix. BikeFlights was on hand all weekend to catch up with customers and cheer on the racers.

The ‘From the Ground Up’ Crew

Our very own Sparky Moir, Support Team Director, and Daniel Precious, Customer Experience Associate, made the journey up to Leadville from Colorado’s Western Slope to expo on Thursday and Friday and to watch Saturday’s 100-mile race.

“The BikeFlights tent was set up right next to the beer garden and expo stage, and we had the chance to talk to hundreds of racers, BikeFlights Ambassadors, families and other riders who were checking out the expo,” said Sparky. “After handing out lots of BikeFlights swag and wishing racers the best of luck, we got out for a quick ride on some singletrack, and also checked out the start and finish portion of the race.” They especially enjoyed taking in the views of the surrounding 14ers and 13ers while enjoying some nearby trails.

On Saturday morning, Sparky and Daniel woke up bright and early to watch the race’s start, which was conveniently located on the same street where they were staying. After encouraging riders at the start, they drove to the course to watch riders descend a singletrack section. Then it was off to a later part of the course to watch some of the top pros come through.

Daniel recounted one of his favorite moments of the event. “We were kind of in the middle of nowhere with no one else around us at mile 70, and one of Sparky’s friend Sarah came by telling us she was ‘breaking,’ and it sounded as if she were about to cry. We cheered her on until she was completely out of sight, and she ended up finishing fourth in the pro women’s category.”

Throughout the day, Sparky and Daniel cheered on BikeFlights Ambassadors including Rose Grant, Derek Braun and Alexey Vermeulen, former BikeFlights Staff Member Emily Birch, and three From The Ground Up riders.(Learn more about the From the Ground Up project here).

Then it was onto the finish to support riders as they rolled in after a very long and hard day.

“Another memorable moment was at hour 13, when most racers had already finished and gone home. There was a teenager standing 100 yards from the finish line on the lookout for his dad,” said Daniel. “When he saw his dad, he burst out yelling "YES DAD, YES DAD," and you could tell he was so happy and proud to see his dad. His dad had the biggest smile on his face once he saw his son's reaction, and his son ran across the finish line with his dad. It was an incredibly touching moment, and I'm sure that a few people in that finishing area shed some tears.”

Sparky added, “It was incredible being out there and witnessing the hard work every racer was putting in to get to the finish!”

BikeFlights Ambassador, Alexey Vermeulen 

BikeFlights Ambassador, Rose Grant

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2022 BikeFlights Ambassador Kits

For this year’s BikeFlights Ambassador program we worked to provide riders with more support and more gear and we have been thrilled with our team’s representation across the country wearing the newly designed BikeFlights Kit. Our friends at Alé Cycling created a comfortable and stylish kit that stands out in the peloton by combining our signature BikeFlights blue with their high-performance materials. Whether our Ambassadors are cruising the local trails and roads, or taking on national-level events, they have worn our kit with smiles. 

Annie Davis, Bentonville, Arkansas

Kelly Ann Freire, Miami, Florida

Rose Grant, Columbia Falls, Montana

Justin Hanneken, Fort Myers, Florida

Sydney Wenger, Bedford, Virginia

Kerry Werner, Vinton, Virginia

Jessie Wildblood-Crawford, Flagstaff, Arizona

Garrete Bonenberger, Knoxville, Tennessee 

Ellie Brant, Topeka, Kansas

Candice Votava, West Hartford, Connecticut 

Liza Rachetto, Los Altos, California 

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Happy Birthday To Us

As we get deep into mid-summer, we at BikeFlights are stoked to be celebrating our 13th birthday. It’s been an amazing journey to date, and we can’t wait to see what the coming year brings. In the meantime, we’re taking some time to reflect on some of the many highlights from this past year.

One Million Served

Early last fall, we hit a major milestone: 1,000,000 million people served. That’s a lot of bikes shipped! Read more.

Easier E-bike Shipping

We worked with our carrier to make it easier to ship e-bikes with fully installed, healthy batteries. Now you can ship your e-bikes anywhere within the contiguous U.S. Learn more about e-bike shipping.

New Cycling Kits

We redesigned our BikeFlights kits late last year. Maybe you’ve seen our new, bright blue kits out and about? Our Ambassadors and Staff have been sporting them on rides and at events all over the U.S. and Europe since we got them.

New Boxes Launched

At the Sea Otter Classic in April, we rolled out our new boxes. We not only made some design improvements from v1 of our box, but we also made them available in two more sizes. Now you can buy BikeFlights Bike Boxes in sizes ranging from small to extra large. Learn more about our bike shipping boxes. 

40K+ Positive Reviews

This spring we hit another major milestone: 40,000 reviews averaging an “excellent” 4.8 out of five stars You can check out our reviews on Trustpilot.

Getting Back to Events & Travel

We’ve been enjoying getting back out on the road to attend a variety of events. Starting early in 2022, we attended the UCI Cyclocross World Championship. Some other highlights have included the People For Bikes Bicycle Leadership Conference, the Sea Otter Classic, Unbound Gravel, SBT TRVL Blue and the Global Bike Fest.

Coming up soon, we’ll be at Crusher in the Tushar, the Leadville MTB 100 and SBT GRVL.

We appreciate your business throughout our first 13 years and look forward to continuing to serve you as we head into our 14th year!

[weshipyourride]

2022 Global Bike Festival Recap

When the Global Cycling Network, perhaps better known GCN, chose Saalbach, Austria for the location of their inaugural Global Bike Festival, they knew that one logistical challenge would be figuring out the best way to get bikes to and from the event, which is located several hours via car and train from major international airports. So they reached out to us at BikeFlights to see if we could help, and of course, we said yes, we can get bikes there!

That’s how we found ourselves last week in the incredibly beautiful Saalbach-Hinterglemm Valley. If it’s a place that’s not already on your cycling destination bucket list, it probably should be.

The Saalbach-Hinterglemm Valley, which is most known for its world class skiing, offers something for almost every cyclist with countless gravel roads, paved roads and paths and mountain bike trails. And when you eventually need a break to recover from all the riding around there, you can enjoy countless great hiking trails, too.

In Saalbach, the hills truly are alive with riders on both traditional bikes and e-bikes pedaling all over them. We especially loved seeing families with kids of all ages enjoying riding with their moms and dads on the local paved paths, bike park trails and pump tracks.

Our very own Bill Alcorn, Sue George and Kent Sanchez arrived in what was initially a chilly, wet Alpine village well ahead of the Global Bike Festival to receive bikes prior to the first day of the Festival. We had shipped most of the GCN presenter bikes, including also Martyn Ashton’s Bowhead adaptive bicycle. And of course, we also shipped bikes for Festival attendees and ourselves because, well, how could you go to Saalbach and not ride?

The clouds did clear and the sun came out, giving us beautiful summer weather for a majority of the Festival. It also made for some pretty nice trail and gravel road conditions.

Bill, Sue and Kent took turns riding and staffing our BikeFlights booth during the course of the four-day festival. Among us, we got out for gravel rides, road rides and mountain bike rides. Sometimes, we had the pleasure of joining in on one of the many group rides that were offered each day. Other times, we headed out to do some of our own exploring. In between rides, we enjoyed the friendly, entertaining banter of GCN’s presenters from their various channels – GCN, GMBN, EMBN, which are available in several languages.

Saalbach is located in the Austrian Alps, which means there are lots of opportunities to climb (for a very long time!) high up and to enjoy expansive views of snow-covered mountain peaks in all directions. There’s also the option to take gondolas up to the mountains on either side of the valley. The gondolas provide access to numerous trails ranging from easier, more mellow, flowy, bermy trails to plunging steep, technical descents suitable for only the most advanced downhillers and enduro riders. You can even connect the trails of Saalbachtrails Saalbach to the trails at the world-famous Leogang Bike Park in the next valley over, making for some epic, all day riding excursions.

In Saalbach, a town of 2,300 full-time residents, it’s not just the riding you’ll fall in love with. You’ll be warmly welcomed and have the opportunity to enjoy many delicious dining options within their easily walkable downtown, or hop on a bike and pedal a few kilometres up or down the valley to enjoy a meal in a nearby village.

By the end of your stay, you’ll probably already be planning your next visit!

Stay tuned for dates to be announced for next year’s Global Bike Fest.

[weshipyourride]

How To Protect Against Fraud

Fraud is everywhere, and here at BikeFlights, we sometimes see instances of it. Fraudsters may pretend to be us and send you fake messages in an attempt to get payment from you or access to your personal information. Or they may try to fast-track an online bike purchase from you, paying with a fake credit card and tricking you into shipping the bike to them before their fraudulent transaction is discovered. In this article, we share tips to help you protect yourself and your money.

If you ever receive any suspicious communications appearing to be from BikeFlights, please directly contact our Support Team for assistance instead of responding to the suspicious messages.

Tip #1: Spot fake contact information.

BikeFlights only sends you emails from our @BikeFlights.com domain. We will never send you emails from other domains. For example, we don’t email you from addresses such as transactions@bikeflights.delivery or bikeflights@post.com. Also, be on the lookout for incorrect contact phone numbers; our phone number is (541) 705-2453.

Tip #2: Examine links before clicking.

Prior to clicking on a link, hover over it with your mouse to see the real URL to which the link is pointing. If your email browser doesn’t let you do that, right-click and copy the link, then paste it into a note or text file to see it. Make sure the URL is https://www.bikeflights.com. Notice that we use https:// security to keep your information safe; our domain name (the part after the www.) is “bikeflights”, and the domain suffix is “.com”. Do not click on a link taking you to a URL with a different domain name or a different suffix (such as .cc or .ru or .delivery). Scammers will often create and host copycat websites imitating real branding on domains that are very similar to a company’s actual domain. 

Tip #3: Notice any odd language.

Scammers located in other countries who are not native English speakers may use unusual salutations, make translation or spelling mistakes or word their messages in a way that sounds awkward or strange. If the message doesn’t read quite right or sounds like something that was auto-translated, that’s a red flag.

Tip #4: Don’t fall for urgent requests to pay.

Many scammers convey a sense of urgency in their messaging. They’ll say you must pay a certain amount or respond with personal information quickly or face some threatened consequence. They are trying to trick you into responding fast without taking the time to think critically about the legitimacy of their request. If a message feels threatening or inappropriately urgent, step back, take a deep breath, and directly contact our Support Team to confirm the communication.

Tip #5: Beware of requests for payment or account information.

BikeFlights will never send you an email requesting you to wire transfer money (in euros, dollars or any other currency) and then send us confirmation of such payment.  And when we do issue refunds, we don’t ask you for new or different bank account info or other payment app details because we only issue refunds directly via the payment method you used.

Tip #6: Be wary of attachments.

Don’t open email attachments from BikeFlights unless you were expecting them and you know exactly what they contain in advance.

Tip #7: Protect your personal information.

Don’t share your BikeFlights account username and password, and remember that BikeFlights will never ask you for your password. Be sure to use a unique, highly secure password for your BikeFlights account, and change it frequently. Don’t give personal information to any stranger who contacts you without being prompted, even someone claiming to be from BikeFlights. You should only share personal information when you initiate the conversation directly with our Support Team.

Tip #8: Don’t take payments over the phone.

If you are selling bikes and bike-related gear online, you should never take payments over the phone. It’s the method scammers most commonly use to manually force through payment with a fraudulent credit card. Instead, require your buyer to pay via your website (if you have one), or send them an invoice to pay you via PayPal (or other similar payment processing service). 

When accepting an online payment from a remote customer for a high value item, follow up with a phone call to them to confirm the details of their transaction (see especially tips #9 and #10 below). Legitimate buyers will be willing to provide you with a real phone number, and most will appreciate your efforts to confirm their transaction is legitimate prior to fulfilling their order.

Tip #9: Require and verify ID from buyers.

Always require your customer or buyer to show a government-issued ID with a name on it that matches any credit card that they are using to purchase a bike or other high value item from you. If the name on the ID that they provide doesn’t match the name on their credit card, do not accept payment, and do not ship the bike to the buyer, no matter what excuses they give you for the discrepancy.

Tip #10: Confirm delivery address.

Check that the requested delivery address actually matches the address of the person or business who is purchasing the bikes, wheels or gear you are selling online. Generally, you want to stick to shipping only to the address on the government-issued ID.

Watch out especially for requests to ship to a freight forwarding company or transportation company. It’s a red flag that the bike you’re shipping may be on a path to continue immediately on to another country, where it will be irretrievable if there is a subsequent chargeback. It can take up to four weeks for a credit card use to be reported as unauthorized and a chargeback to be issued. By then, your merchandise could be gone forever. 

Tip #11: Be wary of requests for overnight shipments.

As awesome as it may seem that someone wants to buy your bike or other high value item immediately, be wary of requests to ship it out the same day via overnight or express shipping, even if the buyer offer to pay more for the expedited shipping. Fraudsters commonly use stolen credit cards to purchase such items in the hope that their transaction will go through and the shipment will be completed before their fraudulent activity is detected.

Here’s an example of a common fraud attempt experienced by bike shops: A remote customer buying a bike from your shop asks you to ship the bike overnight to their hotel room so they can take it back with them to wherever they live, often somewhere outside of the country. It’s a nice bike, but it’s been sitting on your bike shop floor for a while, and you are happy to finally sell it. You rush to pack up the bike, ship it to the hotel, and the hotel staff receives the bike. Everything looks like it worked great. Forty-eight hours later, the customer denies that they ever received the bike and reports that to their credit card, taking advantage of buyer protection. The payment processor refunds the buyer’s money. The customer potentially got the bike and got their money back, but you lost the bike.

Tip #12: Listen to your gut & trust your instincts.

If something feels or seems odd, surprising or too good to be true, be suspicious. Do not respond directly; instead, report all suspicious emails, phone calls or text inquiries to phishing@bikeflights.com.

Here is an example scam email:

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Shipping vs. Flying With Your Bike

When you travel with a bike, you have to choose how to do so. Will you ship your bike or fly with it? As a bicycle shipping service that was founded to help people adventure by bike, of course we here at BikeFlights are biased toward shipping. But we know that there are advantages and disadvantages to both shipping and flying a bike. In this article, we explore the pros and cons of these two options, so you can pick the one that’s best for your next trip.

Photo by Robert Barranco (FTGU)

Bike Shipping Pros

Let’s start with what makes bike shipping a great bike transport option.

Bike shipping is a convenient, door-to-door service. Schedule a pickup, and a driver will come get your packed bike from your ship-from location. At the end of its journey, your bike will be delivered directly to your ship-to location. Ship locations can be places such as your house, workplace, hotel, a friend’s house or a local bike shop.

You get to travel to and from the airport with no bike. That means you won’t have to source a ride on either end of your trip in a vehicle that’s large enough to fit your bike bag, case or box (and those of any traveling companions).

Life is easier once you get to the airport. You won’t have to figure out how to simultaneously juggle your carry-on, roller bag AND your bike bag, case or box. You may even be able to completely skip bag check-in lines if you’re not checking any luggage.

You stop worrying about whether your bike bag or box will actually make it onto the same plane(s) as you – a common capacity issue for small planes or for larger planes flying full. Delayed flights and tight connections are a lot less stressful when you don’t have to wonder if your bike will make the transfer, too.

You won’t have to figure out exactly to what special location in baggage claim you need to go to pick up your bike. And if you flew without any checked bags, you can completely skip bag claim, reducing your total time spent in the airport.

You’ll never have to drag your bike box or case up and down narrow stairs at airports, metro stations or train stations en route. 

You can ship your bike in a box or hard or soft case.

You can include in your bike box or case items like spare wheels and parts and other bike-related gear, so you don’t have to figure out how to fit them in your luggage.

When you ship via ground service, you can even include items like your CO2 cartridges and tire sealant so you don’t have to purchase them again at your destination.

Your packed bike box or case can weight more than 50 pounds without significantly affecting your shipping cost.

You can purchase exactly the amount of Premium Protection (insurance) you want (up to $20,000) to cover your bike in the event of damage or loss.

You can ship an e-bike anywhere within the contiguous U.S.

And last but not least, you get to ride your own bike that’s set up just right for you!

Bike Shipping Cons

There are a few reasons you might decide not to ship your bike. These include the following:

You have to source a box or case prior to shipping. [Note: You can purchase a BikeFlights Bike Box and have it shipped directly to you to make this easier!]

You have to pack and assemble your bike or hire someone to do it for you [Note: See BikeFlights Bike Shop Finder for recommended local bike shops that offer this service.]

You will be without your bike while it ships – from the time you disassemble and pack it until you reassemble it. BikeFlights offers several shipping service speeds between one and five business days. Exact transit times depend on the shipping speed you choose.

Bikes can get accidentally damaged or lost when you ship them. Shipping carrier loss or damage issue rates are 1-2%. [Note: BikeFlights offers Premium Protection amounts available for purchase up to $20,000 to cover the full market value of your bike.

Photo by Robert Barranco (FTGU)

Flying Your Bike Pros

Taking your bike on the plane with you is another option for many travelers. Let’s take a look at the advantages of flying with your bike.

You and your bike will (hopefully) only be apart while you are flying.

Some airlines will count your packed bike as a checked bag if it is small enough and light enough.

You get to ride your own bike that’s set up just right for you.

Flying With Your Bike Cons

There are a few reasons you might decide not to fly with your bike. Here are some of them:

You have to source a box or case prior to flying.

You have to pack and assemble your bike or hire someone to do it for you.

Your packed bike box or case can’t weigh more than 50 pounds without being subject to additional fees, and these vary by airline.

Your packed bike box or case may be subject to additional luggage fees if it is above a certain size, and these vary by airline.

Airline insurance coverage amounts for bikes is limited and varies by airline. The maximum amount of coverage according the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is $3,800. Available coverage amounts are often less than the value of your bike. Some airlines also won’t cover any damage if you fly with your bike in a soft case. 

Bikes can get damaged or lost when you fly with them. Airline loss or damage issue rates are 4-6%.

You can’t check an e-bike (with its battery) on a commercial aircraft. You would have to remove your e-bike battery, leave your battery at home, then rent or borrow a battery for your e-bike while at your destination.

Costs

For many budget-conscious travelers, cost is an important consideration in deciding whether to ship or fly with a bike. So how does the price of shipping a bike compare to the costs of flying a bike?

The answer depends on the size and weight of the box or case you’re shipping or flying, where your bike is going to and from and what carrier you are using for shipping or flying. 

When you ship a bike, you always know exactly how much your shipment will cost at the time you book, including shipping rate, pickup fees, customs & clearance fees (if applicable) and insurance.

In contrast, you often don’t know exactly what most airlines are going to charge you (no matter what it says on their websites). The amount you are charged can depend on each airline’s policy, your frequent flier status, your airline credit card (if you have one), the size and weight of your bike case and sometimes even the generosity of the person checking you in. It’s not uncommon for airline passengers to pay different amounts for flying with their bike on the way there vs. on the way back.

When comparing the costs of shipping vs. flying with a bike, be sure to consider the total cost of both options. Factor in, for example, any additional costs associated with larger rental or for-hire (Uber, Lyft, taxis, shuttles, etc.) vehicles needed to transport your bikes to or from the airport, especially if you are traveling in a group.